The Way Back Home 154

└ posted on Friday, 10 August 2018, by Novil

Our yearly Gaia artwork contest has started! The Sandra and Woo artwork contest will follow later this year. The prize money for the Gaia artwork contest is $750! So don’t miss your chance to become one of the winners!

Do not forget the archers on the walls behind you Ariella. Looks like they’re just about ready to shoot and I have not seen any shielding put in place to protect either the crowd or herself and Ilias. She may have done something off screen but at present we do not know.

I see these people’s names, their profession and their backstory in the world, but…I don’t know them as characters. I don’t care enough about them to see them as the focus of the action. Why are we following them so intently?

I’m wondering how this is going to go. Because on one hand, I saw Ariella on the list of top 20 mages on Gaia, but not Niven. On the other hand, Ariella has cast one of her most powerful spells today, and so could suffer spell sickness wants to use more powerful spells in this fight.

I’m wondering how this is going to go. Because on one hand, I saw Ariella on the list of top 20 mages on Gaia, but not Niven. On the other hand, Ariella has cast one of her most powerful spells today, and so could suffer spell sickness wants to use more powerful spells in this fight.

Yes, but it doesn’t take that much energy to cast your specialties as we’ve seen with Lilith. She couldn’t blast a wall, bit could easily do 2 very effective shield spells. Plus, Lilith was a lot younger and I think a more mature mage would gain power and stamina.
I don’t think he has a chance, especially considering there’s a rainbow knife in here somewhere.

This guard commander MUST want a massacre. Not once, but twice, he was offered a peaceful resolution to these riots, or at least a solid groundwork for negotiation, and he not only shouts “NEVER” both times, but threatens and initiates lethal threat violence.

Yeah. I hope his head goes flying next page, he’s clearly not using it for anything, except a rack for that fancy helmet of his.

@ Commentary Ver.2.72:
Obviously, but conventionally stories leave plot-pivoting material to the characters the audience has some attachment to, and can therefore feel for, rather than keep bringing up new characters.

I’m not saying I dislike Ariella or Niven, I just mean, the only character I knew before the last four panels is Ilias. I don’t know if anyone besides him is going to matter after this scene, so it’s hard for me to get attached.

As a reader of the League of Super Redundant Heroes, I checked its meaning a while ago (they have a character named just that). Still, can’t see a reason to prohibit the word. Is it offensive in any way I’m unaware of?

The thing is that Lilith was extremely proficient in shield magic as a necessary
component of the story. But to hide this plot fact, Lilith was simply introduced as wonder child
who has shield magic as favorite subject. This makes her suspicious as “M*** S**” if you don’t
know why she is portrayed this way.

We only know several hundred of pages later that Lilith was literally bred as a serious of
experiments by Eldor, an elven archmage who despite being one of the most powerful mages
is unable to overcome a specific time suspension shield. Being extremely long lived his only chance was
waiting for a super mage which is so powerful that it is able to break through the shield.

@ Facundo Pepe Schell:
Well maybe, but Liliths spells has always been blue up until resently, and the wizard that attack the red hall hade streams of red around them and It has always been quite the speculation here in the comment section why Eldors magic is purple

The thing is that Lilith was extremely proficient in shield magic as a necessary
component of the story. But to hide this plot fact, Lilith was simply introduced as wonder child
who has shield magic as favorite subject. This makes her suspicious as “M*** S**” if you don’t
know why she is portrayed this way.

Oh, but Lilith was from the beginning absolutely aware of her unusual magical prowess and did let others see she knew it as well. That is an absolute antithesis of an “MS” character, which must by definition remain fully unaware of its characteristics throughout the story. This still does make her suspicious as a MacGuffin, of course, but then you’d be right.

@ ForafreeIleasar:
I believe the author has previously stated that colour has little to no significance in the spells. Lilith, when escaping from prison, cast a few purple and green spells, besides the golden Sphere of Protection and of course her own “Lilith’s Black Marble” which was, of course, black.It’s_A_Trap wrote:

I’m wondering how this is going to go. Because on one hand, I saw Ariella on the list of top 20 mages on Gaia, but not Niven.

Sure, but the Top 20 thing says that it’s based on the most powerful spell that wizard can cast. Niven might not have a single spell that can get him into the top 20, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s significantly weaker than Ariella, he might just lack a really good finishing move.